Comprehensive coverage of personal injury and civil litigation

May 26, 2015

Art Activists: New York City Halted Museum Protest Speech

Several art activists filed a federal suit against New York City and claimed their First Amendment rights were being violated during last year’s Metropolitan Museum of Art protest.

The plaintiffs utilized mobile video projectors to show political messages and images.

NYC police officers, who were present during the protest, seized the group’s projector since it beamed “political speech” on the side building of the museum during a gala for David H. Koch on September 9th.

Police halted the van and carried out criminal summonses to the activists for illegally posting advertisements.

The activists were brought to a local precinct and held for a few hours prior to being released. While the summonses were dismissed, the police kept the projector.

Samuel Cohen, the plaintiffs’ attorney, said the NYC police unlawfully arrested his clients and took the projector to prevent them from carrying out their free speech rights.

The complaint, which was filed in the previous week in a Manhattan federal court, is seeking trial and monetary damages.